All too many people essentially drift through their careers without much direction – but still wonder why they’re not achieving their goals. The reality is that they may not be thinking enough about their goals and how they fit into the life they want to live. So what should you consider when you’re looking ahead and setting career goals for the years to come? Let’s take a closer look at five key factors.
1. Pay and Benefits
It may seem a bit crass to start with dollars and cents, but at the end of the day, that’s what many people are working for, literally and figuratively. While we all need a basic level of income to support ourselves and our loved ones, take care of our obligations, and prepare for emergencies, your desired financial future should play a role in setting your goals.
If you’re looking to quit work at 40, buy a vacation home, or travel the world once you retire, you’ll naturally need more cash to do so. Folks with these desires should ensure their career goals and trajectory will provide them with the necessary resources. The same can be said about health insurance and other benefits, which can be worth thousands of dollars a year in compensation. Those with more modest financial goals can focus less on where their salary will be in five years and more on some of the other categories we’ll discuss.
2. Location and Lifestyle Preferences
For some careers, it’s difficult or impossible to reach the levels many people aspire to from just anywhere. Financial whizzes may find they need to be near Wall Street or other banking centers, while those working in the energy industry will likely need to relocate to resource-rich areas. Put another way, you’re not going to achieve your goal of becoming a ski instructor if you live in Florida! Ensure your career goals and the location you may need to be to achieve them line up with your life plan.
Similarly, some careers offer the ability to travel or frequently move as part of the field, like travel nursing, sales, or consulting. For some, the idea of getting to experience new places is a dream, while others would like nothing more than to settle down in one spot. Your career goals should take these desires into account.
3. Passions and Interests
Remember when people asked you as a kid what you wanted to be when you grew up? You should ask yourself the same question now as you set your career goals. All too often, people end up in a certain occupation or industry out of convenience, luck, or circumstance rather than any sort of burning desire to do what they do. Setting your goals offers a chance to reflect on whether you’re pursuing your passions, interests, and things that make you happy. You may want to pursue a different role within your field or company or change job types altogether. As the old saying goes, if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life! On the other hand, many people may struggle to find a career that reflects their passions that can also pay the bills and provide the lifestyle they’re hoping for.
4. Qualifications
When you think about where you’d like your career to be in one, five, or ten years, you may realize you’re missing some key qualifications. That’s ok – especially if you set realistic goals to get there! Some will take more time, planning, and resources than others, like a bachelor’s or graduate degree. Others can be achieved through experience and self-education over time, like earning a professional certificate or trade license. Even the most ambitious career goals – like switching fields to become a medical doctor late in life – can be achieved with realistic and gradual steps planned carefully.
5. Work/Life Balance
It’s one of the most elusive but much-desired goals – a fulfilling career and personal life that work in harmony, not against one another. Unfortunately, many people find themselves answering late-night calls or emails from bosses or clients, spending weekends at work, and otherwise never being able to disconnect fully. If your work/life balance is out of whack, setting an intentional goal to correct things may be a great idea. You may be surprised how receptive your bosses and coworkers may be when you explain why you’re setting the boundaries you’ve chosen.
Still, the ultra-ambitious might find setting what most consider to be a realistic work/life balance to hold back their rapid advancement. And firmly standing up for a work/life balance may simply be impossible for some jobs, meaning you likely shouldn’t have a goal to be an emergency responder, ER surgeon, or military member, among other careers.
Planning Your Career Goals is Vital to Reaching Them
Setting the right career goals for your experience level and desires is one of the most critical parts of creating the life you’re looking for. These five areas are among the most crucial to remember to ensure you get where you’re hoping to go. Keep them in mind, and you may be surprised at just how far you go!